By Mary Powers
On May 9, the Archdiocese of San Francisco joyfully welcomed three new transitional deacons: Dereck Delgado, Camreon Song Sellers, and Jimmy Velasco. They were ordained by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone at St. Patrick’s Seminary. Family, friends, and parishioners, including faculty and students from Archbishop Riordan High School, filled the Seminary Chapel to support the new deacons.
Though they come from diverse backgrounds, each of these men shares a common desire: to serve the people of the archdiocese.
Deacon Delgado, originally from Guam, has been studying as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of San Francisco since 2020. Reflecting on his ordination, he said, “This ordination is about being configured to Christ in a special way as a servant. Knowing that, I am deeply moved that, in anticipation of the highest calling to the priesthood, I must first begin in the lowliest place, in the same way as our Lord. I look forward to mirroring His own heart in love and service for the Church!”
Deacon Sellers, a U.S. Army veteran, converted to Catholicism and discerned a call to a different kind of service—that of the priesthood. When asked why he chose the Archdiocese of San Francisco, he responded, “This is where the battle is. I want to help heal and save souls in the Bay Area!”
A San Francisco native, Deacon Velasco grew up at Epiphany Parish and attended Archbishop Riordan High School. “It is very exciting, after so many years of study and formation, to reach this point of ordination,” he said. “It is truly an honor and a blessing to make it to this stage.”
Before their priestly ordination in December, each will serve in a parish within the archdiocese: Deacon Delgado at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Burlingame; Deacon Sellers at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco; and Deacon Velasco at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Larkspur.
Photo: Ramón Camacho
